Virginia Restructuring State Hospital Discharge Assistance Program

To reduce the percentage of long-stay state hospital residents clinically ready for discharge, but who remain hospitalized due to lack of community capacity, the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS) is restructuring its management oversight of the Discharge Assistance Program (DAP). The focus of the restructuring changes how DBHDS identifies state hospital residents with barriers to discharge.

During state fiscal year 2012, about 12% ($28.3 million) of Virginia’s $235 million in spending for state psychiatric hospital care was for 166 residents ready for discharge but who stayed for an average of 266 days waiting . . .